Temperature therapy garment

ABSTRACT

A temperature therapy garment applies localized hot or cold temperature therapy to a region of a person&#39;s body. The garment includes a main body portion that is formed from a generally breathable, elasticized fabric and encircles and form-fits the torso of the patient body. At least a pair of openings are included to accommodate at least a pair of patient limbs (i.e., legs, or arms, or both). At least one pocket is positioned on an outer face of the garment in alignment with the region of the person&#39;s body to receive temperature therapy. A hot or cold temperature therapy pouch fits within the at least one pocket to be held against the person&#39;s body. The region of the patient body with which the at least one pocket is aligned may correspond to a region that is subjected to a medical procedure, such as a cosmetic surgical procedure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a therapeutic garment for applyingtemperature therapy (i.e., heat or cold) to a region of a person's and,in particular, to such a garment that provides temperature therapy toregion following a medical procedure.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Temperature therapy is applied in a wide variety of contexts to reduceinjury and to aid in recovery after exertions, injuries, and medicalprocedures. For example, ice treatment in is most commonly used duringthe first 48 hours after an acute injury (e.g., ankle sprain) to reduceswelling and associated pain. Likewise, ice treatments are applied toreduce pain and swelling after many surgical procedures. Ice treatmentis typically in the form of an ice or frozen pack applied to the surfaceof an affected body part.

Temperature therapy also includes the application of heat to an affectedbody parts. Heat treatments are used for chronic conditions to helprelax and loosen tissues, and to stimulate blood flow to the area. Heattreatments are also used for on chronic conditions, such as overuseinjuries, before participating in activities.

Temperature therapies are commonly provided with heat or ice packs thatare held by a patient against the affect body part. In some instances,the heat or ice packs are in the form of gel-filled pouches that may befrozen or heated to be used either as an ice pack or a heat pack. Suchhot/cold gel packs are available from Caldera International, Inc., theassignee of the present invention.

In some instances, a person manually holds a temperature therapy packagainst the affected body part. Other times a temperature therapy packmay be held against an affect body part by tape or a wrap. As anexample, the wrap may use a heavy material such as neoprene or any otherfoam-backed fabric with a hook and loop fastener to hold a temperaturetherapy pack against a body region. Such wraps are described atwww.calderaintl.com and are available from Caldera International, theassignee of the present invention.

While effective at temporarily securing a temperature therapy packagainst a person's body, the heavy material of such wraps isuncomfortable and impracticable for sustained wear. Moreover, tape orwraps can require significant mobility to apply or remove thetemperature therapy pack. After some surgical or other medicalprocedures, such mobility can be difficult for a patient and attempts atsuch mobility can injure the region traumatized by the procedure,thereby delaying or complicating healing. In addition, such efforts canbe difficult, painful and inconvenient.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,124 describes a compression garment that appliespost-operative pressure to a body region traumatized by a surgicalprocedure. The compression garment includes a pocket or pouch on theinside of the garment to receive a compression pad (i.e., closed-cellelastomeric foam) that applies steady pressure against the body region.Positioning the pouch or pocket inside the garment allows the garment towork with the compression pad to apply the pressure. However, thepositioning of the pocket inside the garment prevents access to thepocket, thereby rendering the garment of little use to temperaturetherapy.

Accordingly, the present invention includes a temperature therapygarment for applying localized hot or cold temperature therapy to aregion of a person's body. The garment includes a main body portion thatis formed from a generally breathable, elasticized fabric and encirclesand form-fits the torso of the patient body. At least a pair of openingsare included to accommodate at least a pair of patient limbs (i.e.,legs, or arms, or both).

At least one pocket is positioned on an outer face of the garment inalignment with the region of the person's body to receive temperaturetherapy. A hot or cold temperature therapy pouch fits within the atleast one pocket to be held against the person's body. The region of thepatient body with which the at least one pocket is aligned maycorrespond to a region that is subjected to a medical procedure, such asa cosmetic surgical procedure.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodimentthereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a patient wearing a temperature therapygarment for applying localized hot or cold therapy to a region of thebody.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a patient wearing a temperature therapygarment for applying localized hot or cold therapy to a region of thebody.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a front view of a patient 10 wearing a temperature therapygarment 12 for applying localized hot or cold therapy to a region of thebody of patient 10. For example, the hot or cold therapy may be appliedto a region that is traumatized by undergoing a surgical procedure suchas suction lipoplasty of the abdomen, hips or flanks, or othernon-cosmetic procedures.

Temperature therapy garment 12 includes a main body portion 14 thatencircles and form-fits the torso of patient 10 and at least a pair ofopenings 16 for at least a pair of limbs (e.g., legs, arms, or both, theformer shown in FIG. 1). Temperature therapy garment 12 is made from agenerally breathable, elasticized fabric, such as Lycra® or a likefabric, to provide a snug, form-fit on patient 10.

The form-fitting around the torso of patient 10 and the generallybreathable, elasticized fabric together allow temperature therapygarment 12 to be worn continuously for an extended period of time (e.g.,plural days) in relative comfort without the need to be taken off.Continuous wearing of garment 12 prevents the traumatized region frombeing injured during removal in the immediate days after a surgicalprocedure, thereby improving and speeding the initial healing of thetraumatized region.

Temperature therapy garment 12 includes at least one pocket 20 that ispositioned on an outer face of garment 12 in alignment with a bodyregion that is to receive hot or cold treatment therapy. For example,the at least one pocket 20 is positioned to overlay the regiontraumatized by the surgical procedure (e.g., the abdomen, hips or flanksof patient 10 where suction lipoplasty occurs). Pocket 20 has an opening22 and is sized to receive a heat or ice pack, such as a gel-filledtemperature therapy pouch 24, which has been heated or frozen to providehot or cold temperature therapy to the traumatized region. A closure orflap 26 with an optional fastener 28 (e.g., a hook and loop fastener)selectively closes opening 22 to securely hold temperature therapy pouch24 inside pocket 20.

Pocket 20 is positioned on outer face of garment 12 so that patient 10can readily and conveniently insert temperature therapy pouch 24 andremove it without injuring the traumatized region. For example,temperature therapy pouch 24 being used for cold temperature therapy mayneed to be removed after about 20 minutes of treatment. Safe andconvenient access can prevent injuries that can delay healing of thetraumatized region.

Temperature therapy garment 12 may be of a pull-on type that includes noclosable opening or “fly,” or may optionally include a lengthwiseopening or “fly” that is closable with a lengthwise fastener such as azipper, hook and loop strips, etc. to facilitate donning or removal.

FIG. 2 illustrates as an alternative implementation a temperaturetherapy garment 50 for applying localized hot or cold therapy to aregion of the body of patient 10. Except as otherwise indicated,temperature therapy garment 50 is substantially the same as temperaturetherapy garment 12, with common features indicated by common referencenumerals.

Temperature therapy garment 50 includes a main body portion 14 thatencircles and form-fits the torso of patient 10 and at least a pair ofopenings 16 for at least a pair of limbs (e.g., legs, arms, or both, theformer shown in FIG. 1). Temperature therapy garment 12 is made from agenerally breathable, elasticized fabric, such as Lycra® or a likefabric, to provide a snug, form-fit on patient 10.

Temperature therapy garment 50 includes a pocket 20 that is positionedon outer face or garment 50 in alignment with a body region that couldreceive hot or cold treatment therapy, and further includes pockets 52and 54 that are positioned in alignment with respective body regionsthat could receive hot or cold treatment therapy. Pockets 52 and 54typically are sized and shaped differently from pocket 20 to accommodatethe regions affected by medical procedures in those areas. Pockets 52and 54 have openings 56 and 58 and are sized to receive heat or icepack, such as gel-filled temperature therapy pouches 60 and 62,respectively. A closures or flaps 64 and 66 with optional fasteners 68and 70 (e.g., hook and loop fasteners) selectively close openings 56 and58, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows all temperature therapy pouches 24, 60, and 62 for purposesof illustration. It will be appreciated that only one or two of pockets20, 52, and 54 could be used at a time. A benefit of temperature therapygarment 50 is that a single garment design can provide temperaturetherapy for a variety of medical procedures, thereby reducing the numberof separate garments to be stocked.

It will be appreciated that the locations of pockets 20, 52, and 54 aremerely examples and that temperature therapy garments can includepockets in any appropriate location on such a garment. For example,another implementation of such a garment could include only pocket 54,or one or more pockets located in locations other than the locations ofpockets 20, 52, and 54.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of ourinvention may be applied, it should be recognized that the detailedembodiments are illustrative only and should not be taken as limitingthe scope of our invention. Rather, we claim as our invention all suchembodiments as may come within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims and equivalents thereto.

1. A temperature therapy garment for applying localized temperaturetherapy to a region of a patient body, comprising: a main body portionthat is formed from a generally breathable, elasticized fabric andencircles and form-fits the torso of the patient body, at least a pairof openings being included to accommodate at least a pair of patientlimbs; at least one pocket that is positioned on an outer face of thegarment in alignment with the region of the patient body to receivetemperature therapy; and a temperature therapy pouch that fits withinthe at least one pocket.
 2. The temperature therapy garment of claim 1further comprising a closure for the at least one pocket to secure thetemperature therapy pouch within the pocket.
 3. The temperature therapygarment of claim 1 further comprising a closable opening to facilitatedoning and removal of the garment.
 4. The temperature therapy garment ofclaim 1 in which the region of the patient body with which the at leastone pocket is aligned corresponds to a region that is subjected to amedical procedure.
 5. The temperature therapy garment of claim 1 inwhich the region of the patient body with which the at least one pocketis aligned corresponds to a region that is subjected to a cosmeticsurgical procedure.
 6. The temperature therapy garment of claim 1 inwhich the temperature therapy pouch may be selective heated or cooledaccording to whether the localized temperature therapy entailsapplication of heat or cooling to the region of the patient body.
 7. Atemperature therapy garment for applying localized temperature therapyto a region of a patient body, comprising: a main body portion that isformed from a generally breathable, elasticized fabric and encircles andform-fits the torso of the patient body, at least a pair of openingsbeing included to accommodate at least a pair of patient limbs; pluralpockets that are positioned on an outer face of the garment, each pocketbeing in alignment with a region of the patient body to receivetemperature therapy in connection with care following a selected medicalprocedure; and a temperature therapy pouch that fits within the at leastone of the plural pocket.
 8. The temperature therapy garment of claim 7further comprising a closure for each of the plural pockets to securethe temperature therapy pouch therein.
 9. A temperature therapy garmentfor applying localized temperature therapy to a region of a patientbody, comprising: a main body portion that is formed from a generallybreathable, elasticized fabric and encircles and form-fits the torso ofthe patient body, at least a pair of openings being included toaccommodate at least a pair of patient limbs; at least one pocket thatis positioned on an outer face of the garment in alignment with theregion of the patient body to receive temperature therapy; a closurewith a fastener for the at least one pocket to secure the temperaturetherapy pouch within the pocket; and a temperature therapy pouch thatmay be heated or cooled and that fits within the at least one pocket.